Secret Santa for Seniors brings cheer to Lake County nursing homes

Santa Claus often gets an assist from Toys for Tots and other agencies when it comes to delivering gifts to kids, but an Ingleside woman is trying to make sure local seniors have the chance to get something special for Christmas as well.

Brandy Beyer, who runs The Beyer Foundation to raise awareness against senior abuse and exploitation, began a Secret Santa for Seniors program last year, and for the second year in a row has delivered presents of up to $50 using wish lists from residents at area nursing homes.

Beyer said she was moved to start the program following the death of her father, Steven Beyer, two years ago in a nursing home.

"I'm doing it in his honor," she said of her dad, the former owner of Park Garage in Lake Villa.

While her father was always treated well and had company, Beyer said she noticed many seniors didn't seem to get many visits from family members. That made her wonder about the holidays and how she could help to improve them, she said.

"People in nursing homes can be isolated. It's just sad that everyone doesn't have a lot of family and get a lot of visits," Beyer said.

Noting the agencies that assist children at Christmas, Beyer said she decided to do something for the seniors, and her Secret Santa for Seniors program was approved as an official nonprofit organization before Christmas last year.

This year, Secret Santa for Seniors delivered presents to seniors at Hillcrest Nursing Center in Round Lake Beach, Winchester House in Libertyville and a third facility near Woodstock.

Wendie Aull / HANDOUT

Dafne Hopkins, 85, a resident of the Hillcrest Nursing Center in Round Lake Beach, delights in the Chicago Bears presents she received through the Secret Santa for Seniors program.

Dafne Hopkins, 85, a resident of the Hillcrest Nursing Center in Round Lake Beach, delights in the Chicago Bears presents she received through the Secret Santa for Seniors program. (Wendie Aull / HANDOUT)

Hillcrest resident Dafne Hopkins, 85, a longtime Chicago Bears fan, was the happy recipient of fuzzy Bears socks and other items when the presents were delivered by Beyer and other volunteers last Sunday.

"I was so delighted. I think it was one of the best things I've ever seen," Hopkins said of her Secret Santa experience. "I always liked the Bears. A lot of people who work here like the Packers, but I can always claim the 1985 Bears."

Hopkins, a former teller at a Lake Forest bank, said she met a lot of the Super Bowl Bears, including former coach Mike Ditka, who asked her to cash a check, she said.

As for this primarily disappointing year, Hopkins said, "it doesn't matter what the Bears do. They are still my team."

Hillcrest Administrator Alan Rosenbaum the Secret Santa program really resonated with the residents.

"It was fantastic," he said Wednesday. "Residents are still coming in to talk to me about it."

Rosenbaum said the program helped supplement a holiday gift stocking program the center provides.

"It's great for the seniors. A lot of them don't have families active in their day-to-day lives," he said, adding that the Round Lake Beach Police Department also donated gifts for residents of the nursing home this year.

Wendie Aull / HANDOUT

Brandy Beyer, president of The Beyer Foundation and its Secret Santa for Seniors program, brings bags of presents in for residents of the Hillcrest Nursing Center in Round Lake Beach.

Brandy Beyer, president of The Beyer Foundation and its Secret Santa for Seniors program, brings bags of presents in for residents of the Hillcrest Nursing Center in Round Lake Beach. (Wendie Aull / HANDOUT)

Beyer solicits Secret Santa volunteers and donations from friends and associates, as well as businesses, primarily with a Facebook site. In the program's inaugural last year, she raised about $7,000.

"This year we almost doubled that," she said.

Those who volunteer to buy gifts, and especially those who help deliver them and interact with the residents, tend to want to stay involved, Beyer said.

That was confirmed by Antioch photographer Wendie Aull, who runs Aullmyn Photography, and has donated her time taking pictures of the event this year. She plans to continue working as a secret Santa and photographer for the program.

"When Brandy asked me if I was on board for next year, I said, 'In a heartbeat.' It really is so rewarding," Aull said. "So many residents had so many stories to tell."

Those interested in becoming involved with Secret Santa for Seniors can find more information on Facebook and online at www.thebeyerfoundation.org.

A version of this article appeared in print on December 25, 2015, in the News section of the Chicago Tribune with the headline "Secret Santa for Seniors brings cheer - Beyer Foundation delivers gifts to Lake County nursing homes" —
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